Hadi and Ali Partovi launched Code.org in January 2013 to make computer science accessible to students, after recognizing a mismatch: technology was shaping work and daily life, but many U.S. schools offered no computer-science classes. The brothers began with a public-awareness campaign, then built a nonprofit combining free curriculum, teacher training and policy advocacy. It widened the conversation and created tools schools could use—but it did not make sustained computer-science education universal.
Who are Hadi and Ali Partovi?
The Partovi brothers are Iranian-American technology entrepreneurs with computer-science training. Hadi, Code.org’s founder and CEO, has described learning to program independently as a child; his career later included work at Microsoft and in startups. Ali, his twin brother, cofounded the organization. Their personal histories informed the campaign’s central idea: access to computing early in life can shape a person’s opportunities. Hadi Partovi’s biography from the World Bank provides further background.
Their argument was not simply that the economy needed more programmers. They believed students should encounter computer science as a foundational, creative discipline—one that helps people understand and shape systems increasingly present in every industry and in civic life.
What problem did the brothers see?
At the time Code.org launched, many U.S. schools did not offer computer science. Where courses existed, they could be electives rather than part of a standard sequence, and access was uneven. A widely repeated contemporary estimate held that roughly nine in ten schools lacked computer-science classes; that was a historical claim, not a current statistic. The Washington Post’s 2014 account described the access problem and the campaign to change school policy.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
#1 Best Overall
The barriers were structural: too few trained teachers, state graduation rules that did not always recognize computer science, and disparities in course availability between schools. A student’s lack of exposure did not necessarily reflect a lack of interest; in many places, there simply was no class to take.
How did Code.org begin?
- 2012: Hadi later described beginning the effort with Ali as a personal mission centered first on making a video. His Senate testimony records this earlier starting point.
- January 22, 2013: Code.org publicly launched as a nonprofit focused on making computer programming accessible. The public launch was distinct from the brothers’ earlier work on the idea. TechCrunch reported on the launch.
- February 26, 2013: The campaign video “What Most Schools Don’t Teach” was released online. Phys.org covered its release.
- Late 2013: Code.org organized the first Hour of Code campaign during Computer Science Education Week, turning the message into an activity schools could try.
Hadi later recalled that the project became an education nonprofit after educators asked how to bring the campaign’s idea into classrooms. The shift from video to educational infrastructure was consequential: attention alone could not give schools courses, teachers or a way to fit computer science into graduation requirements. His later account of the project’s beginnings describes that transition.
Why did “What Most Schools Don’t Teach” resonate?
The video paired a straightforward claim about schools with a broad appeal for students to try programming. Its recognizable technology figures—including Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey—lent the message authority. The presence of entertainers and athletes, including will.i.am and Chris Bosh, helped present coding as culturally relevant rather than as an activity only for people already identified as technical.
The campaign also translated an abstract policy concern into an approachable invitation. Programming was presented as a way to create and solve problems, not just as vocational training or a specialized job skill. Contemporary reports described millions of views and substantial interest from educators and districts, though totals varied by source and date. The video’s reach showed that a public message could draw attention; it did not, by itself, establish what students learned or whether schools added lasting courses.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsRank #2
- Ideal for Gifting
- Ideal for a bookworm
- Compact for travelling
What was the Hour of Code?
Hour of Code lowered the threshold for participation: students could try a short programming activity, and teachers did not need to be computer-science specialists to host an introductory session. The campaign was meant to spark interest, make computer science visible and build pressure for sustained classes. Code.org says the effort had support from organizations including Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the College Board. Its Hour of Code partner information lists the coalition.
An hour-long tutorial is an introduction, not a computer-science course or a measure of proficiency. A school can host an Hour of Code without offering a continuing class; completing an activity or creating a project does not prove durable learning. The campaign’s educational value depends on whether the first experience leads to a sequence of instruction, capable teaching and opportunities to continue.
How did Code.org move beyond the campaign?
Code.org developed a model that links awareness to classroom implementation and policy work. Its curriculum and authored resources are free, with Creative Commons licensing for noncommercial educational use; free access does not eliminate schools’ costs for devices, staffing, connectivity or training. The organization’s curriculum commitment explains the terms.
Curriculum and tutorials
Its materials span elementary, middle and high school, with block-based and text-based activities. Courses such as CS Fundamentals, CS Discoveries and CS Principles give teachers options beyond a single introductory event.
Teacher professional learning
Code.org offers teacher training and works with regional partners and facilitators. This responds to a basic implementation constraint: free lessons are of limited use if schools lack educators prepared to teach them. The organization has also described scholarships intended to expand access in underserved schools. Its diversity information discusses its participation and access efforts.
Policy advocacy and school support
The organization has worked with districts, policymakers and education groups to make computer science count toward graduation requirements, support state-level policy and funding, and encourage schools to offer courses. A policy allowing computer science to count toward graduation is not the same as ensuring every school offers it; local staffing, scheduling and implementation still matter.
Partnerships and public campaigns
Hour of Code and collaborations with companies, governments and nonprofits have helped bring attention and resources to the issue. These partnerships are one part of the model, not evidence by themselves that instruction is effective or that every school can implement it well.
How much changed—and what does the evidence show?
Code.org’s reported reach is substantial, but reach measures should not be confused with enrollment, course completion or demonstrated learning. The organization’s current English homepage reports more than 99 million students on its platform, more than 2.9 million teachers using it and more than 352 million student projects; it also says it supports computer-science policy in all 50 states. These are organization-reported figures, and “support” does not mean the same policy change occurred everywhere. Code.org’s current homepage gives its platform metrics.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Rank #4
Earlier totals use different measures. Code.org’s 2023 impact report said more than 80 million student accounts had been created by that point. Its newer CodeAI materials report more than 150 million students reached, more than 2 billion hours of learning, over 3 million teachers engaged and participation from 190 countries. Those broader figures reflect a current AI-plus-computer-science framing; they should not be compared directly with earlier account totals as though each counts the same thing. The 2023 impact report and the organization’s current about page describe these distinct milestones.
Access data offer a more direct test of the original U.S. school-access problem. The 2023 State of Computer Science Education report found that 57.5% of U.S. public high schools offered foundational computer science, while only 5.8% of students in the 35 reporting states were enrolled in it. Small schools were twice as likely to lack foundational courses, and female students accounted for 31% of foundational computer-science enrollment. The report’s figures describe specified schools and reporting states, not every student or every kind of computing activity. The State of Computer Science Education report provides the data and methodology.
Those measures distinguish several different outcomes: whether a school offers a course, whether students enroll, whether they complete a sequence, and what they learn. A short activity or a platform account is not a substitute for those measures. Code.org reports participation by girls and students from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, but those organization-collected figures do not, on their own, establish equal access or learning outcomes across the education system. Its diversity page sets out the organization’s figures.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Did Code.org solve the computer-science education crisis?
No single organization could resolve a national problem shaped by school budgets, state rules, teacher supply and local priorities. Code.org nevertheless helped make K–12 computer science a mainstream policy conversation, gave schools widely available introductory materials, connected advocacy with teacher development and curriculum, and helped normalize the idea that computing belongs to a broad range of students.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Best Value
- It can be a gift option
- Comes with secure packaging
- Helpful in various ways
The remaining gap is between exposure and sustained instruction. Course availability still varies by state, district, school size and student population. Teacher preparation remains a constraint, and permission for a course to count toward graduation does not guarantee that it will be offered. Free online materials also cannot fully solve limitations in devices, internet access or local support. Finally, “coding” is only one part of computer science, which also encompasses algorithms, data, systems, ethics and computational thinking.
Code.org is best understood neither as a complete solution nor as merely a publicity campaign. Its distinctive contribution was to connect a memorable public appeal to curriculum, teacher training and policy work. The harder test is whether students can keep learning after the first hour and whether schools can provide that opportunity equitably.
How has the mission changed in the AI era?
The organization’s current materials increasingly use the name CodeAI and describe a wider mission spanning AI and computer-science education. Its pages discuss AI learning across grade levels, an Hour of AI campaign building on Hour of Code, and goals that include literacy, critical thinking, creation and responsible use. The current rebranding does not change the historical fact that the organization was founded in 2013 around access to computer science; legacy Code.org courses and curriculum remain available. Code.org’s current about page describes the transition and the organization’s history.
The shift extends the original premise—students should understand technology that shapes their lives—but it also raises a curricular question. AI activities can make current technology tangible, yet they should sit within a coherent foundation in computing rather than displace it. Just as one hour could not substitute for a course, exposure to AI tools alone cannot establish broad AI or computer-science literacy.
Recommended Free Tools
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
